EPD officer arrests attempted murder suspect

Bobby Bernard Stuckey Jr.

The man wanted in connection with the Feb. 27 shooting in the Camden Huddle House parking lot is behind bars, thanks to a traffic stop conducted by an Elgin Police Department (EPD) officer just after 1 a.m. Saturday.

Bobby Bernard Stuckey Jr., 38, of Smyrl Circle, Camden, is now being held at the Kershaw County Detention Center on two charges of attempted murder, a family court warrant and driving under suspension (third or subsequent offense), according to online jail records.

According to an EPD report, Ptl. Michelle Perry was stopped at the stop sign on Railroad Avenue, facing Bowen Street, in Elgin, when she saw a vehicle traveling at what appeared to be a high rate of speed approaching the stop sign on Watson Street at Bowen Street. Perry reported there was no cross traffic, and that the vehicle slowed down, but did not come to a stop at the stop sign. She saw the vehicle -- which she identified as a 2011 Buick -- turn right on Bowen and head toward Main Street. Perry turned on her lights and siren, and the Buick came to a stop prior to reaching Main Street.

Perry approached the driver, who told her he did not have a driver’s license and handed her the keys to the car. She placed the keys on the roof of the car. She also noted the odor of an alcoholic beverage on the driver’s breath and asked him how much he’d had to drink. The driver handed her a half-full glass bottle of Bud Light, cold to the touch, that had been in the center console. She placed the bottle next to the keys on the roof of the car.

Stuckey then actually identified himself, including his birth date, height and weight, and even his Social Security number. Perry then obtained information from a female passenger in the car, identified as Stuckey’s pregnant girlfriend, who said they were heading to the store.

At this point, Perry returned to her patrol car and provided dispatchers with the information Stuckey provided. As soon as she finished doing so, a Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) sergeant advised his West Wateree units to “run code” to her location. When the sergeant confirmed Perry was out of Stuckey’s range of hearing, he advised her he had multiple attempted murder warrants with the city of Camden. He also advised Perry of the possibility Stuckey had weapons with him.

Perry removed her firearm from her holster and stepped from her vehicle with the door open and stayed outside her vehicle. She asked responding units to approach from the north, off of Railroad Avenue, and provided them with information about Stuckey and his girlfriend. When the KCSO units arrived, they and Perry conducted a felony stop, with Perry directing first Stuckey, then his girlfriend to exit the Buick. They did so, and both were placed in handcuffs by deputies. Perry searched the girlfriend and asked her if she required any medical assistance due to her pregnancy; the girlfriend said she did not.

Meanwhile, county deputies placed Stuckey in the back of one of their patrol cars where he became combative. At that point, one of the deputies transported Stuckey to the county jail, where a hold was placed on him for both the EPD and Camden Police Department (CPD).

According to an earlier CPD report, Stuckey allegedly shot a 36-year-old Cassatt man in the Huddle House parking lot on West DeKalb Street in Camden just before 10 p.m. Feb. 27. Stuckey’s vehicle was identified as a gray car, possibly a BMW. Officers responding to the scene found broken glass and five spent shell casings. They also found the victim in the parking lot of the O’Reilly’s auto store down the street, along with another, unhurt, 23-year-old man.

The CPD provided video footage to the media showing a man they identified as Stuckey standing in the parking lot firing a number of shots into a vehicle parked in front of the restaurant.

The CPD advised Perry they did not need to make contact with the girlfriend. Perry also reported that no weapons utilized by Stuckey during the Feb. 27 shooting were found in the Buick. At this point, Perry removed the girlfriend’s handcuffs and arranged for a friend to drive her from the scene.

In addition to the driving under suspension charge, the EPD additionally cited Stuckey for the stop sign violation, open container of beer in a motor vehicle and open container of liquor in a motor vehicle.